How you can listen to Absolute Radio in London

Details about 105.8FM and digital expansion for Absolute Radio.

A crowd enjoying an Absolute Radio gig
Author: Alice WestobyPublished 10th Feb 2021

Here at Absolute Radio, we are passionate about real music and want to bring you even greater choice and access to our stations.

An incredible 70% of you are already listening to our stations via a digital device and that’s brilliant news because digital is the future. On digital platforms, we have much wider scope to give you more choice like the Breakfast and Hometime shows where you choose the music via the decade station you love. It also means that we can offer you bonus songs when other people are hearing the adverts. There’s also more room to creative more exciting stuff that you tell us you want to hear. We have plans to provide better access to some of our digital stations in London, by bringing Absolute Radio 00s to DAB and Absolute Radio 70s and Absolute Radio 10s to DAB+.

We’re also planning to add a new member to our family by introducing Absolute Radio Country later this Spring. Absolute Radio Country will play the biggest country tracks from the UK and from around the world. Country music shares many of the same values as the music that Absolute Radio has and we’re excited to get going and we’re confident that you’ll love it.

Absolute Radio is part of a bigger company which is called Bauer Media. The company is always looking at ways to provide the best service and with more of you listening on digital, there’s fewer people listening on 105.8FM in London. Bauer has asked OFCOM whether it is allowed to reallocate the 105.8FM London frequency of our main station to our sister station, Greatest Hits Radio. This is now being considered and there’s a public consultation. If it gets approved, the changes would happen at a later date and we’d give you plenty of notice. We’re not going anywhere, but the platform that you listen to us on may change, if you listen to us on an FM radio.

There are many ways to listen to Absolute Radio including on digital radio, through our app, by asking your smart speaker to ‘Play Absolute Radio’, on your television and here at absoluteradio.co.uk

FAQ's

Q: I only have FM radio in my car. How can I still listen to Absolute Radio?

A: Absolute Radio is still available on FM for now, so there are no immediate changes. If you’d like to explore other options to listen to us in your car, you can download the Absolute Radio app on your phone and connect to us via Bluetooth or USB connector.

It is also possible to purchase a DAB converter or adapter for your car which start from just £10. DAB radio offers lots of choice, and you can also listen to our stations including Absolute 80s, Absolute Radio 90s and Absolute Classic Rock on the move too.

Q: When will these changes come into place?

A: The changes are subject to Ofcom approval but will likely happen around April/May.

Q: What is Greatest Hits Radio?

A: Our sister station Greatest Hits Radio is a new station which plays the biggest hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Featuring presenters such as Mark Goodier, Pat Sharp, Paul Gambaccini, Janice Long and Jenny Powell, the station is also launching a new drivetime show hosted by Simon Mayo. To find out more about the station, head here (GHR website).

Q: Why are you being replaced with Greatest Hits Radio?

A: There are limited FM frequencies available in London, and so our parent company Bauer must take the decision to reallocate one of the already available frequencies in order to make our sister station, Greatest Hits Radio more widely available in London.

We are lucky to already have a huge 70% of you listening to us digitally and we are planning to expand access to our digital stations in London later this year… watch this space!!

Q: Are you being rebranded?

A: We aren’t being rebranded, but we are planning to change the platforms that you may currently listen to us on. Absolute Radio will still be available on FM for now, and you can find the full range of options to listen to the station here (link to how to listen).

Q: Who can I complain to about this?

A: If you’d like to share your views further, you can contact us contact@bauermedia.co.uk.